18 pin microcontrollers feature enhanced midrange core

With this extension into the 18pin range, the PIC16(L)F1826/7 mcus are designed to provide an advanced peripheral set that includes an mTouch capacitive touch sensing module and dual I²C/SPI interfaces, along with 'LF' versions featuring low power consumption via Microchip's nanoWatt XLP eXtreme low power technology. Microchip says that the mcus provide a 50% increase in performance and 14 new instructions that make programming with the C language more efficient, resulting in up to 40% better code efficiency over previous generation 8bit PIC mcus. Peripheral enhancements include enhanced PWM functionality, and a digital signal modulator that enables designers to customise communication interfaces and combine many functions into a single mcu. The integration of Microchip's nanoWatt XLP technology lowers standby current to 0.030µA at 1.8V (typical), which the company describes as 'market leading current consumption'. The PICkit 2 18pin demonstration board is designed to provide a quick and easy way to evaluate and develop with the PIC16(L)F1826/7 mcus. The board includes four leds, a potentiometer for an analogue to digital converter, a pushbutton, a prototyping area, a 6pin connector for the PICkit 3 in circuit debugger/programmer, as well as two bare boards for designers to use for their own project.